War of Words Escalates in Chicago Over Laquan McDonald Shooting

CHICAGO — As Mayor Rahm Emanuel fends off critics calling for him to resign over his handling of the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald, he has not hesitated to condemn the officer who fired 16 bullets into the young man.

Now, Mr. Emanuel’s comments may have complicated the murder case against the officer he has denounced.

A lawyer for Officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot the 17-year-old Mr. McDonald and has been charged with first-degree murder, said Friday that the mayor’s public criticism of his client might prompt the defense team to seek a change of venue for the trial.

“We’re going to have to find a county that is outside the reach of the mayor’s comments,” said the lawyer, Dan Herbert. “He has essentially told everyone in the public, everyone in the City Council, that my client actually murdered Mr. McDonald and that he’s a bad apple.”

A spokeswoman for the mayor did not respond to questions about Mr. Herbert’s comments.

Mr. Emanuel has repeatedly used harsh words to describe Officer Van Dyke’s conduct on Oct. 20, 2014, the night of the shooting. The encounter was captured by a dashboard camera, and the footage showed Mr. McDonald, 17, carrying a knife but veering away from officers when Officer Van Dyke began shooting. The shots continued after the teen fell to the street. Officer Van Dyke told investigators he feared for his safety.

Last month, on the day the officer was charged and as protesters prepared to march through the streets, Mr. Emanuel said, “Jason Van Dyke’s actions violated” his duties as a police officer “and also the moral standards that bind our community together.”

Mr. Emanuel has faced his own critics over how he handled the shooting’s aftermath, including a downtown protest on Friday where demonstrators again called for him to resign.

Many protesters have blamed Mr. Emanuel for the city’s efforts to keep the dash-camera footage private.

Mr. Emanuel has rebuffed requests that he resign, but he has continued denouncing Officer Van Dyke. In a speech to the City Council last week, he said that “nothing can excuse what happened to Laquan McDonald.”

And at a news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Emanuel suggested that Officer Van Dyke’s actions had contributed to lower morale at the Police Department.

Officer Van Dyke, who is free on bond and has been placed on unpaid leave from the force, appeared in court briefly on Friday.

Dressed in a black suit with his hair neatly combed, he stared straight ahead as he walked into the courtroom and was informed by a judge of an indictment in the case.

The hearing lasted only seconds, and Officer Van Dyke was heckled as he walked out of the courthouse surrounded by sheriff’s deputies.

The McDonald case has focused scrutiny on the Chicago Police Department, with critics pointing out that its officers have rarely been faulted for shootings and that most citizen complaints fail to result in discipline.

In the weeks since Officer Van Dyke was arrested, Justice Department officials have started a broad investigation of Chicago police practices, the police superintendent has been fired and Mr. Emanuel has appointed a task force to study police accountability and recommend improvements.

Garry McCarthy, the fired superintendent, received no severance package after his ouster. A termination letter provided this week by City Hall shows that Mr. McCarthy will remain on Chicago’s payroll through Dec. 31.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A16 of the New York edition with the headline: War of Words Escalates Over Chicago Police Shooting. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe